Chapter 120: Who Would Dare Impersonate the Council?
Chapter 120: Who Would Dare Impersonate the Council?
"Roar! Roar! Roar! Ha ha!"
A circle of people gathered, using their chests to produce a rhythmic, resonant roar. Their bodies moved up and down, shaking in sync with the sound.
This was likely a custom of the Nilubit tribe, a form of celebration and ritual that varied slightly in process and pitch depending on the occasion. It was said that the combined roars could scare away wild beasts, a ritual passed down from ancient hunting practices.
This ancient, primal sound, representing humanity's struggle against nature, had a unique impact on modern people. The very act of performing this ritual was a sign of respect and welcome.
Although Gray and Rod were not familiar with the Nilubit tribe, they could feel the tribe's warmth and enthusiasm.
After a while, the crowd made space for others to join in, and two people came over to invite Gray and Rod inside the circle. Reluctantly, they stood among the crowd, trying to match the rhythm and join in the roars.
It took a while for their voices to dry out before they finally found a rhythm and blended into the Nilubit chants.
The roars echoed through the mountains, as if they could drive away all the beasts. By the end of the event, both Rod and Gray felt a sense of exhilaration and satisfaction.
The only regret was that Wendy spent the entire time sitting in a corner, hugging her knees and pouting. Even when Robin called her, she only turned her head away, cheeks puffed out.
Sharo stood firmly by Wendy's side, refusing to help in any way.
When the feast ended, Rod approached Wendy to talk, asking why she was upset.
But Wendy, even at her young age, had learned to dodge the question:
"Nothing, Mr. Rod. Are you starting your mission soon? Wendy and Sharo are ready to help anytime."
"Thanks," Rod replied, knowing there was more to it but not wanting to push. He took out a map, "We need to meet the client here by five o'clock this afternoon. Do you know this place?"
"It's quite far. We need to go around the back of the village, then..."
Wendy was familiar with the paths around the village. Following her advice would save them from crossing a mountain and avoiding some dangerous forests.
"Thanks, that's a big help."
While Crab had already explored some of the paths, this information significantly improved their efficiency.
Wendy added, "Wendy and Sharo can take you there."
"Thanks, but bringing people not part of the plan might upset the client," Rod said. "Besides, Wendy, you have things to do here, right?"
"Things to do?"
"Exactly. It's normal to be upset and to vent your emotions, but it won't solve the problem."
Rod patted Wendy's head, looking at her puffed cheeks. "When you're less angry, go and talk to the person who made you upset. Express your feelings."
"Hmph!" Sharo glared at him. "You know nothing, yet you talk so easily."
"Ha ha, I couldn't help but speak my mind. Solve it in your own way," Rod turned and waved, "See you tonight."
"Even though it sounds a bit showy, he does have a point. See you tonight."
Gray waved back, feeling that Rod had just sounded a bit like the Guild Master and a bit like Natsu.
Sharo complained, "What a self-righteous guy."
...
"Of course, I learned from them. Don't you think the Guild Master is great at comforting people?"
"No wonder he sounded like a dad consoling his daughter." Gray and Rod sat on Crab's back, teasing, "Learning from the old man is one thing, but why learn from Natsu too?"
“
“You don’t know, on our last mission, we encountered a sad little girl who was about this tall.”
Rod gestured with his hand and continued, “When Natsu was comforting her, the way he patted her head, spoke gently, and waved as he turned away was so cool.
...I want to be cool like that too.”
“Haha—” Gray made a face of disgust.
Rod threatened, “Do you want me to kick you off the crab?”
Gray wasn’t scared at all, “Try it, see if you can! If you can, I’ll go skating!”
Whenever it came to fighting, the usually calm Gray would lose his cool, ready to take on anyone who dared challenge him.
The two bickered as they crossed the valley and traversed the forest, startling many birds and scaring away mountain pheasants and wild rabbits.
However, the closer they got to the meeting point, the quieter Gray became.
It was clear he really didn’t want to see the Council members.
When they were about two kilometers away, Rod suddenly told the crab to stop.
“What’s wrong?”
“Gray, do you think the Council might pretend to assign us a mission but actually set a trap to arrest us?”
“Even if they did, it wouldn’t be to the point of arresting us, right?” Gray asked, “Why do you ask?”
“Because there are too many of them. A group of people in white robes has set up a perimeter, and there are about a hundred of them.”
Gray thought for a moment, “Maybe the mission has changed. If they were going to arrest us, they would have hidden themselves.”
Rod considered this, “Let’s get off the crab and walk the rest of the way. We’ll be more cautious.”
Gray was taken aback for a moment, then realized what Rod meant by "get off the crab." As for being cautious, what were they cautious about? Could they really fight the Council?
“Halt! We are the Fiore Branch of the Council’s Third Special Enforcement Unit. No one is allowed to pass.”
“We are mages from Fairy Tail, and we’ve been commissioned by the Council to be here.”
Rod showed the mission document and pulled up his sleeve to reveal his guild mark.
Gray tugged at his collar to display his own mark on his chest.
Rod glanced at Gray, feeling that showing the guild mark this way was inconvenient...
Oh, right, Gray liked to take off his clothes, but he was trying to be more restrained in front of the Council members.
Rod was thinking about what he would do in winter, maybe get another mark tattooed somewhere else.
“Please wait a moment.” The white-robed soldier with a wand left and soon returned with a man with short golden hair and a full beard.
“Mages from Fairy Tail? I am Captain Kaptin of the Third Special Enforcement Unit.
I apologize, but due to changes in the target’s movements, our plans have been adjusted, and your mission has been modified.”
Last-minute changes in requirements were something many freelancers hated.
Rod remained calm, “May I ask... do you have any identification?”
“Huh?”
Rod explained, “I mean, something that can prove your identity or that you have the authority to change the Council’s commission.”
Kaptin clearly wasn’t expecting this question.
Even Gray was taken aback. Did someone without a criminal record really have the nerve to speak so boldly?
One of the soldiers following Kaptin whispered harshly, “That’s incredibly disrespectful, mages of Fairy Tail! Do you think someone would dare impersonate the Council?”
Rod glanced at him, of course, there were people in their guild who would do that.
The man seemed proud to be a Council member, but Rod didn’t bother with him.
Kaptin raised his hand to signal his subordinates to stand down and pointed to the cross emblem on his clothing, “This is the Council’s emblem. As for the authority to change the commission... here is the official document from the Council authorizing the arrest of the ‘Naked Bandage Men.’ I am the designated person in charge.”
Kaptin laughed, “This time, the Fairy Tail mages seem a bit different.”
(End of Chapter)
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